


take a picture, it'll last longer

by wyrmbloods



Series: wolmeric week 2021. [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Wolmeric Week (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:07:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29855781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyrmbloods/pseuds/wyrmbloods
Summary: lord speaker borel walks into a florist, and walks out with a lot more than just a lovely arrangement to embarrass estinien with.(a modern au + eventual )
Relationships: Aymeric de Borel/Estinien Wyrmblood, Aymeric de Borel/Warrior of Light, Aymeric de Borel/Warrior of Light/Estinien Wyrmblood
Series: wolmeric week 2021. [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190189
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	take a picture, it'll last longer

**Author's Note:**

> wolmeric week day 3 - casual/modern! i just think love at first sight and pining is neat. also this one might get a second part when i don't have time constraints

A bell goes off as Lord Speaker Borel steps into the florist, and he is greeted by the scent of hundreds of cut flowers intermingling with one another. The shop is without any customers presently, with only an aproned worker going around watering the handful of potted plants stationed around. He may not be well known in this part of the Alliance, but is he ever glad to not be accosted by passersby familiar with his face for five minutes. 

“May I help you, ser?” The worker turns to face Aymeric, a soft but incredibly practiced customer service smile on his face. “Any particular occasion you’re looking to celebrate with flowers?” The elezen man looks to be a handful of years older than himself, short maroon colored hair cut short on the back and sides with longer bangs combed over to the right side to obscure half his face. 

He stares a moment too long, before remembering that he needs to speak again.

“Ah, yes! A _friend_ of mine is getting out of the hospital for a motorcycle accident, and I’m picking him up something to celebrate. I am not good with these sorts of things, but he likes purple.” And Aymeric was specifically instructed to not get any flowers upon picking Estinien up. So he must do the opposite, naturally. 

“I can work with that, erm. Lord Speaker.” 

“Oh, you know of me?” _Is he blushing? I usually have college students give me that reaction, but not men a handful of years my senior..._ He wasn’t expecting to be so readily identified this far from Ishgard, all the way in Gridania on a business trip. A subdued reaction is better than the usual. 

“You are incredibly easy to recognize, Ser Aymeric.” The man smiles, and looks back up at him. “But yes, purple I can work with. Did you have a budget you would like to work within…?”

“Whatever looks best, I will trust in you.” The raven haired elezen smiles. "If nothing else, make it large."

The better part of half an hour is spent picking and arranging flowers from around the large shop, Aymeric watching the man work more than paying attention to the actual arrangement. ‘Tis very beautiful, he will recognize later, but not nearly as handsome as the man working on it; so rare does he let his mind wander anywhere from his work in the parliament, but he is alone here. So distracted is he, that the man has to raise his voice a couple of times. 

“You--are you paying with cash or credit?”

“Ah yes, credit, let me…” He pulls out his wallet, fumbling with the RFID protective sleeve on his government expense card. “Apologies. I was so caught up in your work that I forgot myself.”

“Oh, thank you.” The redhead feels a bit flustered from the unexpected compliment, nearly dropping the card as he swipes when he’s supposed to put the chip into the reader. It takes a only a couple seconds before the transaction is done, and he hesitates to say something as he hands over the receipt. “I, oh, would you mind if I took a photo of you?”  _ Ah, there it is.  _

“Ah, of course, I assumed you were a bit up there for a selfie--”

“No, no. I--” He reaches underneath the counter, before pulling out an older polaroid camera. “--I take pictures of more notable clients, so the store gets a little more business. My ex-wife says it’s silly but…” His eyes wander to a corkboard, where Aymeric can see a few familiar faces from around Eorzea. _Ex-wife, he said?_

“It’s very cute, and I do not mind, as long as you give me your name.”

“M-me?” The elezen stares at him, wide eyed. His eyes are different colors, the right gold with a large scar beneath going diagonally across the cheek and the left green. “I, erm. Artorius...Thunderheart?”  _ Why would he care about who I am? I’m not even from Ishgard…  _

“Well, Mr. Artorius, would you just like me to stand here?” 

“Well, over here and…” Artorius directs the other man so that the lighting is just right, because he hasn’t much to work with the store’s middling fluorescent lights compared to an actual studio. “Hold up the bouquet as well?” Aymeric does as instructed, waiting patiently as the flash goes off, and the pictures process. 

“Did I do a good job?” A smile. 

(Artorius thinks it should be a crime to be that pretty.)

“Yes, much more cooperative than many of the models who get paid to stand still when I freelance.” The man laughs. The two shots look very good, all things considered. “Just sign your name on the little space beneath, if you don’t mind? I promise I won’t try and sell them to the highest bidder.” 

“I would not fault you for that….” It certainly wouldn’t be the first time someone has tried it, at least. “...but you are a photographer?”

“Yes and no. Amateur, mostly…”  _ Oh no, please don’t ask to see my portfolio...I haven’t updated it in a couple months-- _ “Are you interested in the field?”

“Well I am in need of a new official portrait and I--” His phone buzzes in his pocket, and he is quickly aware that he is running  _ very  _ late for someone who is supposed to be Estinien’s ride. “--Goodness, look at the time! Do you have a card? A website?” Artorius fumbles in his pockets for his wallet, before pulling out a well designed business card. 

“T-thank you for your interest! Have a good rest of your day!” Aymeric runs out, before quickly running back into the store to actually take the damned thing from the man. 

It’s charming, but god does he hope Aymeric de Borel forgets he exists after today. 

* * *

“Aymeric…” Estinien sighs, looking at the floral mass in the passenger seat of Aymeric’s car. “...What the fuck is this?” 

“Last time I checked, people were rather pleased when they got flowers when they’re released from the hospital.” Aymeric crosses his arms and frowns behind the wheel. “A thank you would suffice, as well.” 

“Yes, well,  _ thank you Aymeric _ .” The silver haired man sighs, stepping into the passenger seat with some difficulty with the still broken arm in a sling and trying his best to not squash the flowers beneath his ass, tempting as it would be. “You were late, though.”

“I got distracted at the florist, my apologies.” He smiles. “There was something far nicer than flowers there.”

“Certainly explains why you didn’t bother thinking too hard about these…” Estinien eyes the hundred and fifty dollar price tag on the flowers and rolls his eyes. They’re nice, but not  _ that nice.  _ “You were late because you were  _ flirting?  _ Disgusting.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call what I was doing flirting, but…” His gaze focuses on the road as he begins to drive again, but traffic soons stops him in his tracks. “The man working there happened to be a photographer, I was thinking of hiring him for those infernal photos that need to be taken for the government website. I can’t stand having to deal with the official ones and the entirety of both houses all in one day.” 

“And he _happens_ to be attractive?”

“ _ And he happens to be an attractive older man, mayhap be the case. _ ” Another red light. “I have his business card in my pocket, want to check if he has a website?”

“Sure.” Estinien reaches over with his still functional hand, turning the piece of paper over in his hands, looking at it in disbelief.  _ Of all the people...what are the chances it’s him…?  _ “Artorius...Thunderheart? He has a site, yeah. What did he look like?”

“Fourties...tan skin…” Aymeric is quickly distracted by someone cutting him off at a turn and almost crashing into him. Sticking his head out of the window and swearing is below him, how unfortunate. “Big scar on one cheek, two different colored eyes…” A pause. “Why?” 

“Curious what your type is, other than me, naturally.” Estinien smirks in time for Aymeric to give him a tired look. He types in the information on his phone, giving the simple website a scroll through. “Oh, he actually takes pretty decent pic--wait a moment, is that  _ Euphemie Dansereau?  _ He might actually know what he’s doing.” _Maybe it is him..._

“Then I’ll have to make sure I contact him as soon as we get on the plane back, if the people here would  _ ever learn to obey basic traffic laws! _ ” Aymeric has to keep himself from shouting out the window; even if he has the foreign diplomat plates on this car, he is not wont to use them on one of his first excursions out of Ishgard.

* * *

By all means, he shouldn’t have needed to take  _ two  _ pictures. The store only needed one...and he was going to keep his promise to not sell the second for a sizable sum that would let him stop working at his ex’s flower shop and pay rent to live on top of it in the attic. 

Ser Aymeric was just so much more handsome in person than in the newsreels, how could he not want a photo of the man? Such piercing icy blue eyes, silky raven hair and smooth, fair skin...ah, listen to him. He sounds like a schoolgirl, not a man of almost 40.

Artorius tucks the polaroid into the mirror on his vanity, and sighs looking at it. He doubts he left anything close to an impression, but an actual well paying photoshoot would be nice...it’s between seasons of people caring enough about holidays to buy flowers and his kids are away at school for another two months, _something_ to break up the monotony. 

It’s late, and it would be foolish to check his working email.

(He checks it, of course.)

And there is an email. From an official Ishgard government email... _ oh he might vomit.  _ He reads it over once, twice, three times. An offer to stay a week in Ishgard and photograph the Lord Speaker...all expenses paid. 

Oh he could faint. 

First, he has to respond to the email, though. Might take a couple hours to remember how to speak like a person, though.

* * *

It feels surreal to be photographing the man in his office in the middle of Ishgard’s Pillars, but it  _ sure is happening.  _ Artorius has so much to do at the behest of official publicity managers that he doesn’t get to focus much on the sight of Aymeric himself; every handful of shots their eyes meet and he has to turn away, lest he be caught blushing. 

(Aymeric still catches a couple sidelong glances and grins to himself.)

“Aymeric could you just move your--no, a little more to--nevermind, let me just…” Artorius strides over to reach over the man’s desk to position his face just the right way for a good shot, and instantly regrets it. 

**_Oh they’re very close now, aren’t they?_ ** There’s a solid two minutes where the older elezen’s brain refuses to work, hand moving to gently touch the side of Aymeric’s face. The Speaker raises an eyebrow, waiting to see where this is going. 

“Is aught amiss with my face, Mr. Thunderheart?” The way he says it with such an innocent grin is enough to jumpstart the redhead’s mind enough to be appropriately embarrassed for his actions. He should be shot for such a wanton display lacking in professionalism. 

“I...yes, just one hair, right here.” He allows himself one touch to the man’s hair, before quickly retreating to his respectful distance away. Far away. 

He doesn’t meet eyes with Aymeric for the next two days, when the shoot finishes far ahead of schedule; Artorius feels relief mingled with disappointment. Would he have liked to work longer, admiring the man behind a lens? Of course. Would he have liked to cause a diplomatic incident because he let himself become too gay to function?  _ Absolutely not.  _

He may have a handful of days left to stay within the city, but the bitter cold and snow is going to keep him locked in his hotel room ordering room service until he needs to be dragged to the airport. Keeper knows he has a couple hundred photos to search through, edit and send for approval before he can get paid…Maybe Kanna will be kind and not take all of his money from this job, and he can invest in a better camera to get more work. 

Idly flipping through them, he does notice that a good number of shots feel...purposeful. Aymeric looking directly into the camera, giving a coy smile, biting his lip--

Artorius slams his laptop shut. 

He is going to go sit at the hotel bar, and drink until he can no longer recall seeing that...

* * *

It would be most...improper to invite the man he hired to dinner.

Aymeric is a public official, under intense scrutiny, he should not let himself be caught up in idle desires; he is in an open relationship with Estinien for many years, yes, but even that is kept under wraps for both of their sakes. It’s also infinitely easier to explain him off as a bodyguard alongside Lucia, despite the man’s storied past with the Dragoon corps. Estinien is also not wont to ever commit any public acts of affection where issues could arise...

He’s just so curious about this man,  _ fascinated _ , even. Maybe he’ll just meet him for a drink in the hotel bar on the night prior to his departure, as a nice gesture. It can’t hurt too bad, professionals share a drink together after a project all the time, it’s incredibly unlikely to arouse any suspicions…He wants more, in a rare fit of desire, but he will have to control himself...perhaps? 

Maybe he’s thinking a little too long and hard about this. 

Estinien knocks at his door, and he is quickly dragged out of his thoughts.

“Overworking yourself, Aymeric?”

“In a sense, perhaps?” He chuckles. “I was thinking of treating to Mr. Thunderheart to a drink, seeing as we finished the shoot so fast…I was hoping it would last a bit longer, but I never got a chance to speak with him. I might have scared him off, looking a little too intensely into the camera at him.”

“Enamored by the man, are you?” The silver elezen has a knowing smirk on his face that escapes Aymeric. 

“Why do I have a feeling...you’re keeping something from me.” 

“No, not keeping. He’s just an...old friend. Who disappeared off the face of the planet a couple years back.” A sigh. “Artorius is a good man in many ways, speaking from experience. Nervous wreck though.”

“And when you say  _ friend _ \--” 

“I mean friend. I mean I...” Estinien stops for a moment, before sighing again. “I cared about him, once upon a time. But all he cared about at the time was revenge for his dead boyfriend at the time, so it felt like a dick move to make a move on him.” A shrug. “So you have my blessing. Not like I would complain about seeing him around.”

“ _ Oh.  _ You mean something serious, then? You know I--” They've been an item for a long time, but neither of them have strayed from each other despite the openness of their relationship. "I would hate to deprive you of your old flame." 

“ **_Aymeric_ ** , you have never looked at anyone other than me for the past few years we’ve been together. You managed to fall for the one person in the whole of Eorzea that I actually have enjoyed the company of besides yourself.” He tries to shrug, but forgets his fucked up arm for a moment. "And should you two hit it off, I would expect you to share him." 

“Alright, alright...should I call him? Text him? Send him an email?” Estinien rolls his eyes as Aymeric starts fretting over proper avenues of correspondence. 

Hopeless.

* * *

Artorius is early for his drink with Aymeric, and his hands are shaking without a single sip of alcohol. He does not have the clothes for this, he spent an hour in his room ironing the least worn out of his button downs only to be entirely unsatisfied with the results. Should he order something now? Should he wait? He hasn’t been on a date since...since Haurchefant died half a decade ago…no, no this is definitely just a professional thing. Aymeric is a handsome young man who is definitely not interested in middle aged disaster of a man. 

“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long, Artorius.” Aymeric smiles, wearing a royal blue button down with one too many of the buttons undone for normal company. “ ‘Tis rather difficult to get out of the office some evenings.”

“I was just...early, is all. Nothing to worry about.”  _ Keeper preserve me, must my hands be so bloody sweaty?  _ Is his only thought as he wipes them on his slacks.  “It was very kind of you to invite me out for a drink, before I leave. It was a pleasure working with you, and the photos are already sent to your PR--”

“Let us dispense with the work talk.” Artorius looks at him, wide eyed. “ I came here to get to know you, just a bit more…”

“M-me? Oh, I…” A flush comes over the older elezen’s face as he quickly realizes what this is supposed to be. “I’m very boring compared to you.”

“That remains to be seen. Let us sit at a table and talk a while.” Aymeric takes the other man’s hand in his and leads him over to a table, before they order a bottle of wine, all too quickly paid for by Aymeric before the other man can protest or reach for his wallet. 

Artorius talks a little more once the wine has loosened his lips and relieved some of anxieties; their conversation is casual, but animated, an exciting turn from the incredibly boring drinks he’s forced to have with the House representatives so work actually gets done. The man speaks briefly of his family--a pair of twins in university on opposite sides of the world studying opposite subjects, his former wife who he helps when he isn't working freelance--but scarcely of himself. He has a way of segueing everyone subject away from himself, but Aymeric does learn that he likes to cook, he's thrice divorced and likes to make puns. 

Absolutely charming. 

“I hope I’m not rambling too much…” Artorius swirls the wine in his glass, debating if he should have more than two glasses if he’s to be flying in a handful of hours. “I can’t remember the last time I talked to someone for so long. A shame I’ll be leaving soon.”

“Worry not, I enjoy the sound of your voice.” Aymeric is sitting with an elbow on the table and his head propped up on his hand, grinning. Oh he needs to be around this man more. He also wants to suck the life out of him, but that's another matter entirely. “You could extend your stay a couple of more days, we are going on recess after tomorrow...I could show you around the city. Take you out for dinner. _Show you a good time._ ”

“Oh no, I couldn’t I…”  _ I couldn’t possibly afford to stay here, _ is what he should say. “But my ex, she would be furious if I stood away any longer. I’m the only other person who runs the store while the kids are away at college…” He sighs, and knows better than to think this will go any further than just a drink before the man forgets about him in a week. 

“ _ Oh.  _ Are you sure?” The disappointment is hard to keep bottled up. “If it’s money, I wouldn’t mind--”  _ Do try not to sound so desperate, wouldn’t you?  _

“Absolutely not! I am...incredibly flattered Ser Aymeric but I…” There’s a lot of negative things on his mind, like _‘absolute nobody’_ and _‘old man’_ along with _‘kind of pathetic’_ but he thinks better of it. “...I…I’m sure you could...”

“I’d best not be hearing ‘ _ you could do better _ ’ come from those pretty lips of yours, Artorius.” This is definitely the wine talking through Aymeric, as he extends his free hand to tip the man’s chin so he looks at him in the eye. “If you aren’t interested, you could just say so. My feelings will be only a little hurt.”

“I...I am very, very interested.” 

“That’s a good man.” A thumb brushes against Artorius’ lower lip and his brain threatens to short circuit as he resists the urge to react in a way that shouldn't be so public. “Let’s reschedule that flight of yours, shall we? I’d offer you a room in my estate, but even I know I would get a lot of looks for that. That and I don’t know how my partner--”

“W-wait. You have a partner.” Artorius' mouth runs dry. 

“Hm, yes?”

“And you’re asking me out.”

“Correct, we’re in an open relationship. He’s already given me his blessing to ask you out, worry not.” A smile. “Ah...unless you aren’t…” He’d assumed the man wasn’t straight from the start, maybe he should have asked further? 

“As long as you aren’t going to have me plastered on the  _ Ishgard Times _ ’ front page for being a whore or something, it’s fine.” Artorius shrugs, he's gotten this far so he might as well see it through. “I didn’t exactly ever go through the motions of dating someone in the past so you’re going to have to forgive my, erm, awkwardness.” 

“It’s endearing and worry not. I would not have you called that unless you asked me to, in private.” The older man merely nods at that, already foreseeing an interesting headspace before bed tonight. "If that's your thing, of course. I can call you much nicer things as well." 

"One thing at a time, Aymeric. Let's make sure I don't piss off the travel industry before that."   


Aymeric insists that he call the airline and puts another week for Artorius to stay in the hotel on his personal card. They talk and drink a bit more before the night is called; Aymeric has to turn in early for work in the morning and a hangover would do him no good on the House floor. They both hesitate at their goodbye, feeling that a kiss was too forward and a handshake was too formal for two men who just discussed calling the other whore in private. 

“I shall see you on the morrow, for dinner? Would you mind if I called you on my personal phone…” It _would_ be an unconscionable thing to use his office phone for personal calls. He can't let all sense of decorum fly out the window because he's...well, like _this._

“Oh, sure.” Aymeric extends his phone for the man to type, with the older man taking care to be gentle. It looks like the newest model… “I mean you know where to find me. I won’t be far, I imagine.” 

“Indeed.” He smiles, sending an obligatory ‘This is Aymeric. :)’ text to make sure the other man had his number. “Have a restful night, now.” He brushes a hair from Artorius’ face and caresses his cheek, for the man to lean into the touch. 

“I’m sure I will.” 

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter @lievetels for more of whatever the fuck this was


End file.
